REVIEWS

Lil Wayne has always differentiated himself from us mere mortals, something he clearly set out to prove again with I Am Not A Human Being II, his tenth (and possibly final) studio album. He's explored the outer limits of the rap game with this one, bringing fellow rappers 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj, Drake and Future along for the ride.IANAHB2 is the sequel to Weezy’s 2009 album of the sa

If there’s one
rapper out there that shows unfaltering consistency in his
melodic style and lyrical flow, it has got to be Gucci Mane. The
seasoned Atlanta rapper’s newest mixtape, Trap God 2,
unveils the same playful energy as Chicken Talk, which he put
out in 2006—a mere 27 mixtapes ago. As for Trap God 2,

J.Cole is following the formula that seems to be the norm in the rap game nowadays. In a quest to drum up some buzz for his sophomore album, the Roc Nation rapper has released some new free music. Fans were a little disappointed when Born Sinner, originally slated for a late January release, suffered a few delays. To make up for the wait, J. Cole released Truly Yours, a five-track EP.

It’s been a while since Joe Budden has blessed fans
with an album, as the last studio album he released was Padded Room in 2009. Fans that have been listening
to Joey since his mixtape days will be able to identify with Mouse’s new found

Keeping it fresh with his signature, smoked out flow, Curren$y delivers a strong introduction with the title track New Jet City. Backed by a pompous instrumental, Spitta lays it down and lauds about his boss status. From “sittin in the back of his triple black, with picnic tables, twisting up sacks” to making double our life savings, he is clearly on some new boss shit.

Pusha T has by no means been quiet over the last couple of
years, but it has been a while since we heard a new mixtape from the G.O.O.D.
music signee. Push has kept himself on the blogosphere with a number of singles, and
his part in the G.O.O.D. Music compliation album, Cruel Summer. His name has also been in

Kanye West has certainly gathered a nice squad of lyricists over at G.O.O.D. Music. None fit in better than CyHi The Prynce. Following the release of his fellow G.O.O.D. Music compadre Pusha T's Wrath of Cocaine mixtape, the Atlanta rapper drops Ivy League: Kick Back, which is a follow up to his widely popular Ivy League Club mixtape that was released to great fanfare in 2012.

In all honesty fans of Rockie Fresh's earlier tapes like Rockie’s Modern Life and Otherside may mark Electric City as a departure from the lyricism and alternative qualities of those efforts. The degree of departure will definitely vary between listeners, but overall the spirit of early Rockie Fresh is pretty clearly present here.

Right off the bat, YG’s fifth mixtape Just Re’d Up 2 illustrates just what the Californian rapper is all about. Starting bold from the second track with bumping 808’s and underscored by synthesizers, “Im 4Rm Brompton” really sets the tone for the mixtape’s high energy.

Gunplay has a very classic approach to mixtapes. The tapes he's put out recently have followed the template set by vets like 50 Cent, and Dipset, back when you still got mixtapes on the corner, rather than through a zip file. This means an awful lot of this tape is made up of going in over other people's beats, recycled features, and less-than-desirable audio quality.

Juelz Santana is back with vengeance and we can only hope that he's here to stay this
time. God Will'n is the first mixtape from Santana since Blow, which was a
joint mixtape with Lil Wayne. Fans of the Diplomats rapper have
been waiting for him to get back on the scene for quite sometime. The Harlem native has promised new material a number of different times, but due to

Starvation 2 kicks in and you realize you're hungry for an Ace Hood track as the synth-heavy, hi-hat hitting "Root of Evil" starts and the production is instantly impressive - with lyrics that come off as a warm-up, as it's just the opening track.

Probably not as Finally Rich falls short of the hype surrounding it.Finally Rich certainly does have an allure to it. Keef’s undeniable talent for catchy hooks and his ability to transmute energy to sound is appealing. Plain and simple. However, this appeal is primal, subliminal.

Though he did fall off the map for a while, fans will remember 2012 as the year Game made his triumphant comeback. First, he released The R.E.D Album to critical acclaim and followed that up with the recent release of Jesus Piece - an album that could go down as one of Game's best.

From the moment they came onto the rap scene with their debut
album in 1994, Outkast proudly wore their individualism on their sleeves and in
their music. Always one step ahead of the curve, Outkast coupled dirty Southern
rap with funkadelic beats and became one of the most successful hip-hop groups
ever. 16 years and 25 million albums sold later, Big Boi left the comfort

O.N.I.F.C. is a solid project on the whole, but fans of pre “Black and Yellow” Wiz Khalifa may notice a seeming lack of inspiration and conviction. More on that soon, but the positive aspects of the album must be lauded.Wiz’s flow is deliberate and consistent throughout the project. Though slightly repetitive, Wiz’s delivery is among the most unique in the game.

Joe Budden has been known
to let it all hang out musically,
and A Loose Quarter is no different. This is Joe’s first solo project that
wasn’t named Mood Muzik since Halfway House. There has been a lot of
talk about
the self proclaimed King of New Jersey surrounding his relationship with his new
girlfriend, Kaylin Garcia, and his addition to the upcoming season of "Love and

Fabolous hasn't released a studio album since 2009 but has dropped four strong mixtapes in the three years since, the latest of which was The Soul Tape 2, a mixtape that should convince label heads to give Fabolous the distribution he deserves. The first two tracks are dope and gives hope that this will be a classic mixtape by the Brooklyn rapper, but then he segways into "Bite,"an unimagina

Montana’s latest mixtape, which released November 20th, is a
project that suffers many of the ills that plague mass appeal works. Mileage
will vary by entire degrees here. For better or worse, Mac and Cheese 3 is a testament to the shift in rap culture toward
more niche work.
For all of that, the mixtape itself straddles the fence; it
isn’t terrific or terrible.

Studio
albums have a way of working as a litmus test for hip-hop's up and
comers. Mixtapes and guest appearances are one thing, but for an
artist to prove that he/she can create a strong cohesive album while
delivering on lyrics, beats, and bravado is another. Meek Mill seems
capable of preforming this balancing act with Dreams
& Nightmares, a

To put it simply, this
is a great album with plenty of oriental flutes, imaginative lyrics and an
eclectic cast to rival its namesake film.
Kanye West, Talib Kweli, The Black Keys and Kool G Rap are just a few of
the many featured artists. Of course, good things always come when the Wu gets
together and makes music. Although at
its core The Man with the Iron Fists

Kendrick Lamar is leading the charge in the
revival of West Coast hip hop. After rising to prominence on the back of his
mixtape, Overly Dedicated, and
arguably 2011's best album, Section.80,
fans were due another masterpiece from the Compton native. After teasing fans
with a collaboration with Dr. Dre, “The Recipe”, and pushing the release date

Yo Gotti has been in the rap game for well
over a decade. Though he has been popular in his hometown since the beginning,
Yo Gotti tirelessly worked the mixtape and underground circuit, steadily
building a buzz by collaborating with various artists such as Lil Wayne, Nicki
Minaj, Gucci Mane, Birdman, Bun B, 8Ball and Jadakiss. His studio debut suffered
a series of delays but Live From The